Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn lamented how the 2023 signing class was decimated by the MLB Draft, with four high schoolers opting for pro ball instead of being a Razorback.
Turning a top recruiting class of 2023, according to Perfect Game into another early exit in the NCAA Tournament.
“Last year the draft killed us,” Van Horn said after losing in the Fayetteville Regional for the second straight year. “Absolutely killed us.
We lost four freshmen last year that would’ve been freshmen on this team. They got $11 million total for all four of them.”
This year, there should be no such problem.
The third and final day of the 2024 MLB Draft concluded with just two more Razorbacks selected.
A pair of pitchers were selected in the later rounds. Jake Faherty was selected in the 11th round with the 334th overall pick by the Miami Marlins.
Brady Tygart was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 12th round with the 357th overall pick.
Also, only two signees have been drafted. Shortstop Tyson Lewis, who was drafted in the second round, has already announced his intentions to sign with the Cincinnati Reds.
Eli Lovich, younger brother of Arkansas outfielder Ross Lovich, was also drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 11th round.
A prime round to spend the money that a team has saved from under-slotting in the first 10 rounds.
The rest of both the incoming transfer class and freshman class went undrafted, including another former Razorback’s younger sibling.
Carson Wiggins, brother of Jaxon Wiggins, was a pitcher ranked inside MLB.com’s top 100 prospects, but ended the draft as the third highest prospect left on the board.
